Many devices and systems use a keyboard or similar terminal as a user interface to access the device or system. Keyboard terminals are generally hardware devices or user interfaces that emulate typewriters, but they are also keypads on cellular telephones, portable devices such as PDA's and touch screen devices, tablet computers, or other devices that use a touch screen for key entry. These types of devices with the user interfaces may for example be a computer or electronic machine that generally requires any type of input such as alphanumeric input, but keyboards are not restricted to having alphanumeric keys.
Typically when accessing these electronic devices some sort of means of authentication is desired or preferred, and a common such authentication is for an authorized user to be assigned a password or PIN (Personal Identification Number) to allow them to access and use of the device. Other types of systems may also desire to require or provide authentication, such as some computer software applications, which may for example require a password to allow an authorized user to enter the application on the computer it resides, or to enter certain more secure portions of the software or data.
While passwords provide some protection, passwords and other unique names such as user names, may also be a vulnerable point of security access due to any one of a number of different factors, such as poor choice of user-defined passwords, stolen passwords, lost passwords or the user exposes the password to an unauthorized party.
In response to the vulnerability of passwords, the industry has incorporated secondary devices such as electronic signatures, smart cards, and biometric devices: fingerprint and retinal scanners, etc, thus requiring the user to log into the system via redundant, multiple and/or varied means. An added safeguard in software applications is to force a user to re-enter the access devices at certain intervals or at certain points-of-entry. These devices and mechanisms however cannot prevent an unauthorized user from stealing the secondary devices or from preventing a criminal party from forcing the user to enter the password and/or secondary devices at any given time. None of these methods will protect the system, if the authorized user leaves the keyboard without properly logging out of the system, thus leaving the system open to any bystander or passing unauthorized party.
At the keyboard, statistical dynamics of the keyboard typing/entry are unique to the user, with some dynamics more unique than others. Therefore, the dynamics of the authorized user's use of the keyboard and components thereof, provide a way of identifying a probability that the purported authorized user is in fact the authorized user. This dynamic use unique to or indicative of a particular person may also be referred to as a statistical signature of the authorized user at the human device interface. The ongoing dynamic use of the user interface such as the keyboard or X-Y device provides real time, continuous data which may be utilized to authenticate the user. In the scenario that an unauthorized party would gain access to a system with keyboard entry under an authorized user's identity, the keyboard dynamics may then be utilized to expose the immediate user, or the purported or alleged authorized user, as probably not being the authorized user whose identity was used to gain access. In the scenario of the user leaving the system open to access without logging out, then a new individual who begins to use the keyboard would then be detected as probably not being the registered user. In either case, the attempted unauthorized access may be identified in a real time, continuous fashion, by embodiments of this invention. Prior art focused on the timing of the keystrokes as the identifying behavior of the user.
Embodiments of this invention may also provide a way to account for and sense varying data for a specific authorized user, such as for instance a different authorized user profile when the authorized user is engaging in the measurable dynamics or characteristics at different times of the day, length of time the authorized user has been accessing the system, under different stress or fatigue levels, or any one of a number of different ways there can be a measurable and predictable variance in the data. The timing of the keystrokes, or any one of a number of other different measurable data of the use of the keyboard may provide a probable way to identify a particular user, but it is relatively limited to that type of analysis.
Identifying and knowing the user of a computer is a desirable aspect of computer and software application security. Computer and software applications maintain different levels of security which have been breached in any one of a number of different ways, such as by stolen passwords, stolen smart cards, means of spoofing biometric devices, etc. If access to the computer is left open by an authorized user, passersby or bystanders then have ready access to the computer or open software application. The computer or software application on a network of devices needs to be able to define accurately the current user of said computer or software application.
This invention provides for the authentication of a user via the keystroke typing behavior of the authorized user, or by the X-Y device movement or dynamics of the authorized user. Unlike other biometric devices, it is non-intrusive and adaptable to changes in the user's behavior. The keyboard dynamics and/or X-Y device dynamics system provided by this invention is relatively scalable through the use of probability distribution representations, which in some examples or embodiments, may provide scales relative to O(1) number of users in calculating the likelihood the user is the authorized user. Other implementations scale to n or n2 number of users. Embodiments of this invention may also provide a means to notify security sentries and execute programmed actions upon a breach in security based on the keyboard dynamics.
An object of some embodiments of this invention is to provide a user authentication or identification system using data related to mouse dynamics to determine if it is probable that the data is indicative that the purported authorized user is actually the authorized user, based on the chosen data characteristic (which in some aspects of the invention may be like a signature) for the authorized user.
Probability distribution representations may be used in embodiments of this invention to identify if the purported or alleged authorized user is in fact the authorized user. Calculation and/or algorithms may be utilized to calculate the likelihood the alleged authorized user is the legitimate authorized user who has been authorized to access the system, account or device. The probability distribution representations provide a fast, adaptable and scalable mechanism for discerning legitimate users from illegitimate users. Embodiments of this invention may also provide a system to provide security alerts to, or notify, sentries when the system determines that it may be probable that the new or purported authorized user may not in fact be the authorized user. In some aspects of this invention, the security notification mechanism may provide a more proactive notification and security system to better secure the system to which it is being applied.
It is also an object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a more scalable system for verifying the identity of an identified user, user group or class of users.
It is an object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a system for determining which of a plurality of identifying data points provide better identification of an authorized user, user group or class of users.
While the invention was motivated in addressing some objectives, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretative or other limiting reference to the specification, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.
Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of this invention, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible to change in design and structural arrangement, with only one practical and preferred embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as required.